CNKNA: A Friend in Need
by I love creepy things
Summary: With Alice sent to Diamond Country the only foreigners left are Alana and Avery. Avery is still new to Wonderland and struggles to get used to it. Things take a turn for the worst when she suddenly falls ill and the only way to help her is for Alana to return to their old world. Will Alana be able to save her friend or will both girls fall into darkness?
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful afternoon in Clover Country and everyone was doing whatever they could to enjoy it. Faceless of all ages littered the streets, some of which were shopping and others that were busy at work. Children could be seen either walking with their parents or playing amongst one another; much of which ran into a nearby candy shop. Role Holders, although none seen around town, went about their own business; some relaxing like Boris in the forest and others working hard like Elliot March. Also enjoying the afternoon were Wonderland's two foreigners, Alana Greenburg and Avery Fernandez.

Alana had been the first of the two to enter Wonderland. Much like Alice, she had been brought in against her will by Peter. Not because he fell in love with her but because he believed Alice was lonely and needed a friend from her world. Worse of all, she had been chosen by random; leaving her memories completely intact. Memories that haunted her soul and caused her to distrust everyone around her.

Because of this, Alana acted cold and distant towards everyone for a few time periods; including Alice. It wasn't until Nightmare witnessed a memory based nightmare that he understood the extent of what was going on. It took some time but with his help, and the alteration of her memories, the nineteen year old slowly began to open up and reveal her true self to the citizens of Wonderland.

Avery came sometime after Alice disappeared from Heart Country. Unlike Alana, however, she had been brought in for reasons only Nightmare knew of; with memories already altered. Also, unlike the other two, Avery hadn't been kidnapped by Peter but fell into the rabbit hole while out walking her dogs. When she first arrived in Wonderland, she was nervous, had little confidence and would constantly apologize for things she didn't need to. These things got better as time went by but the girl was no more used to Wonderland than when she first arrived.

The most unexpected thing about Avery, aside from her unusual height, had to be her dogs. A German Shepherd named Jaiden and a Doberman Pinscher named Jett. Somehow, unbeknownst to Nightmare, both had followed Avery when she fell into the rabbit hole. It was a mystery to the incubus how they were able to do such a thing, especially under the circumstances Avery came to Wonderland. It shouldn't have been possible but, _however_ it happened, the two dogs remained and lived with both girls at Clover Tower.

"How do you do it, Alana?" Avery sighed as she watched a faceless couple walk in the opposite direction as them. As she walked, she held a firm grip on Jaiden's leash as he excitedly tugged forwards.

"Do what?" Alana asked, turning her head to her friend in confusion. She herself was holding onto Jett's leash, who was also pulling forwards though not nearly as roughly as Jaiden.

"Cope so well with all this." Avery clarified, using her free hand to motion around her. "I've been here for a while and I'm still not completely used to Wonderland."

Alana stopped walking and blinked slowly, caught off guard by the statement. Avery thought she coped? Well, compared to her, she supposed it made sense. Avery had only been in Wonderland a short while compared to the numerous time periods she had. Alana was able to experience so much more and had far more time to get used to things. The only problem with that was, Alana _wasn't_ completely used to how Wonderland worked. The moment she thought she understood it, something new happened. Such as the move from Heart Country to Clover; which had happened only a few dozen time periods ago.

"Truthfully, I don't think I cope as well as you think. There are still plenty of things I'm not completely used to either. Every time I think I understand what's going on, it twists into something different. There _are_ some things that don't phase me as much anymore but I think that's because I've been here longer. I also try not to think too hard about the things that don't make much sense." The brunette finished with a light chuckle and flashed her friend a grin. Avery weakly smiled back and slowly nodded.

"I- I suppose so. It's just- it's just I don't even know why I was brought here in the first place. All Nightmare will tell me is that it's for my happiness." She explained, her voice cracking slightly. Alana frowned and watched as Jaiden trotted over to Avery and licked her hand.

"I know this might not help, but consider yourself lucky. I was brought into Wonderland completely at random. Apparently some of the Role Holders thought the girl here before me was lonely and needed a friend from our world." The girl admitted softly. Having not been told this bit of information before, Avery looked at the shorter girl in surprise.

While Avery was unsure why she was in Wonderland at least she knew it was for her best interests. Or at least that is what she had been told. So, when Alana told her the reason _she_ was brought in, Avery couldn't help but feel sorry for her. To be brought into a place like Wonderland against one's will was horrible. For it to be for a selfish reason was even _more_ horrible. Avery herself didn't get the chance to meet Alice before she disappeared but that didn't matter. What the Role Holders did to Alana was selfish, plain and simple; she was pulled in for Alice's benefit, not her own.

"I'm sorry." Avery apologized as she lovingly stroked Jaiden's head. The dog panted happily and greeted the petting with more licks.

"Don't be, I'm over it. Besides, it's not like I have much of a life back in our world anyways. My mother's a controlling tyrant and my father did little to stop her. It's why I ran away in the first place. All I have left is my brother, but he'd want me to be happy." Alana said with a chuckle and used her free hand to wave it off. Avery looked as though she wanted to say more but bit her tongue as the two continued towards the park.

As they walked, Avery smiled fondly as Jaiden eagerly pulled forward. He knew exactly where he was going and seeing him, as well as Jett, so happy made her feel a lot better. It wasn't very often that the two dogs got to go outside. They _were_ allowed out on the balcony from time to time but, unless they had to use the bathroom, were otherwise trapped inside Clover Tower. It wasn't that Nightmare forbade them from leaving or anything like that, but rather because they were former police dogs.

Avery didn't like it and she wished she could allow her dogs out more, but understood the risks behind it. Though retired, Jaiden and Jett's training never left them and, in a world filled with 'criminals', it was dangerous to let them run around. Especially when they were trained to chase down people who ran from them. That was partly why Jett wore a muzzle when out for walks. He was the more dangerous of the two, and the youngest. Jaiden himself wasn't nearly as dangerous but often got himself into trouble. He was an elderly but _very_ smart and hyperactive dog.

Surprisingly not a lot of people were at the park when the girls arrived. A few kids ran around as their parents watched from benches but otherwise it remained pretty empty. Considering how busy the streets and stores were, one would think the park would have at least a _few_ more people in it. However, that was honestly probably for the best. While it was unlikely either dog would hurt the kids, Jett was somewhat testy if too many people were around; especially if he felt they were running from him.

The second the girls unhooked the dogs, Jaiden ran for the nearest group of kids, with Jett following close behind. Avery wasn't worried and smiled as Jaiden circled one of the kids before flopping onto his side. The elderly dog often liked to play with the kids whenever he came to the park; especially if they rubbed his belly and gave him treats. As for Jett, though still unlikely he'd hurt the kids, he had his muzzle on. Plus, he knew better than to jump on someone when it wasn't for work; though a few of the parents did look a little concerned.

With no nearby benches free, the girls sat on the ground and watched the dogs play. The grass in Wonderland had a cool softness to it that Alana had always admired. She could easily fall asleep on it which was good considering she found herself camping with Ace every now and then. Avery also enjoyed the grass but more so for the sake of her dogs than herself. Fortunately, she hadn't had the displeasure of camping with Ace... yet. Alana had made sure to warn her about his bad directions and, luckily, Ace had not yet had the chance to _force_ Avery to go with him.

"By the way, Avery, have you been feeling well lately?" Alana asked after a few minutes of silently pulling at the grass. With a blink of confusion, Avery pulled her gaze away from her dogs and looked to her friend curiously.

"Huh? Y- yeah. Why do you ask?" She asked, surprised by the sudden question. The brunette uncomfortably fidgeted slightly and tried, but failed, to hide a worried frown.

"I'm asking because you haven't been looking good for some time now." She answered softly, her tone worried. Avery bit her bottom lip and turned to look away from Alana.

"O- oh. I'm sorry." Avery apologized meekly. Figuring that she took her statement the wrong way, Alana's eyes widened as she quickly held up her hands, dropping the grass that was in them as she did so, and shook her head.

"No, that's not what I meant!" She said quickly and lowered her hands with a small sigh. "I mean you look sick."

It was true, Avery really did look sick. _Really_ sick. Like, should probably go see a doctor or should have stayed in bed sick. Her skin, which was normally a tanned olive color, had become so pale that it almost rivalled Nightmare's. Dark circles formed around her eyes and even her hair seemed to dull in color. She wasn't coughing or sneezing, nor had she complained of headaches or chills. In truth, Alana would have probably preferred if her friend had those systems. At least that way she'd have an idea what was wrong with Avery.

Alana had actually noticed her friend getting sick a few time periods ago but had paid it little attention. Oh, she was still concerned but figured Avery was just over tired and not eating well. After all, Gray's food was so inedible _animals_ wouldn't eat it and Avery _did_ admit to having a hard time sleeping in new places. To Alana it made sense that her friend would look a little sick because of these two things. However, now Avery looked nearly as sick as Nightmare and it worried her.

Actually, now that she thought of it, Alana was surprised that Gray didn't stop them from leaving the Tower. She knew how over reactive the man could get when he thought either one of them was hurt or sick. All Role Holders insisted that outsiders were much weaker than them but Gray seemed to take it to a new level. Hell, he once covered the girls in a mountain of blankets because he thought they'd freeze otherwise. Luckily he didn't do that anymore but he still had a tendency to overreact when one of them even gave off a _hint_ of being sick.

"Oh. W- well, I guess I just haven't been sleeping all that well with everything that's been going on." Avery replied with a small stutter and forced tired smile. Alana's frown deepened and she sighed deeply when she realized her friend wasn't going to admit anything.

In all honesty, Avery's response didn't surprise Alana all that much, though it did disappoint her a bit. Ever since they met in Heart Country, Alana knew how stubborn the taller girl could be. It was a trait she both loved and hated about her. She herself could be quite stubborn so she could understand when Avery would do things against being told otherwise. On the other hand, it annoyed her when she denied or neglected things; even if it wasn't intentional. Such as caring more about the health and well-being of others over herself. It wasn't necessarily a _bad_ thing but could become a little annoying to those that cared about her.

Though reluctant to do so, Alana dropped the subject and returned to watching the dogs play. As much as she wanted to, the brunette knew nothing good would come out of pushing the subject. Avery was just way too stubborn to admit she needed help. Even if Alana outright told her she knew she wasn't just sleep deprived, Avery would find some way to avoid the subject. Most times she'd try to change the subject or, if that didn't work, would stop responding altogether. Sometimes she'd even walk away. She had done it many times before so, with how sick she looked, Alana didn't want her walking off.

As a silence grew between the two girls, Avery frowned as she tried to hide just how bad she actually felt. Both physically _and_ mentally. She had noticed a few time periods ago that she seemed to be getting sick. Since there were no symptoms aside from weakness, Avery truly believed that the cause was from lack of sleep. Then the weakness began getting worse. By this point Avery felt so weak that she struggled to walk long distances. It had been her determination and will power alone that allowed her to make it as far as the park. How she managed to make it without so much as stumbling, however, was impressive.

After a couple minutes, Avery released a small sigh and pulled her gaze away from her dogs to look at Alana. She felt bad for lying to her. Really bad. She knew all her friend wanted was to help her; as did the people back at Clover Tower. It wasn't as if she opposed getting help, though. In fact, she acknowledged that she should probably see a doctor before she got worse. Yet that would only make everyone worry, and she didn't want that to happen.

Ever since she was a child, Avery disliked being fussed over. She also disliked making people worry about her. Growing up, Avery had learned to be independent. So much so that, when she got older, it was her that took care of her older brothers rather them take care of her. She was the one that cooked for them, cleaned for them and helped nurse them when they got sick. Of course that wasn't to say that, while she didn't liked to be fussed over, she didn't enjoy being spoiled every now and then.

'I'm sorry Alana. I wish I could tell you the truth. Please don't hate me. I promise- I promise I'll see a doctor soon.' The former MMA fighter thought and turned her head back towards the dogs.

The girls sat silently in the grass for about an hour before the time period finally switched to evening. The children who had been playing with the dogs all groaned when their parents declared it was time to go home. One by one, everyone started to leave until only Alana, Avery and the dogs were left. With no other kids around to play with, a still very energetic Jaiden took to tackling Jett, much to the Doberman's annoyance.

"M- maybe we s- should h- head back to t- the T- tower now. I- it's get- getting late." Avery suggested weakly and slowly, and shakily, pushed herself to her feet. Alana frowned as she noticed this and pushed herself to her own feet with ease.

"Avery, are you _sure_ you are feeling alright?" She asked, stressing the question as concern flooded her every fibre. Avery was stuttering far worse than she usually did and it looked as though she was ready to keel over.

"Y- yeah, I- I'm fi- fine-" She breathed and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Before Alana could react, Avery fell backwards and landed on the ground with a hard thud.

"AVERY!"

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So if you read this as a one shot you can likely see some differences. Well I edited it slightly (sorry for lingering mistakes) Some things were just a little OOC for Alana and I wanted to add a few things here and there to explain other stuff, and change other stuff that I think fits better and makes sense. Doing this has also made this 943 words longer. I will be posting chapter 2 in a week and, though I will post it regardless, I'd like to ask for at least 5-10 reviews.

Avery and the two dogs belongs to **peekodemeeko12.** I haven't fully decided on love interests for the girls so the character category might change later on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alana's P.O.V**

I bit my lip nervously as I paced in front of the door that led into Avery's room. I wish I could be in there with her but Grey wouldn't allow it. Though it annoyed me it didn't come as much of a surprise considering how sick Avery looked. No one knew if she was contagious or not and they didn't want to risk me getting sick as well. Gray was even making the _dogs_ wait outside with me. The only ones he was allowing in the room with him was the doctor, two nurses and Nightmare.

Shortly after Avery fainted Gray had shown up to bring us home. At the time I had been surprised at how fast he was able to find us. The park we had gone to was at least a fifteen minute walk from Clover Tower and edged into the forest. It only took Gray about a _minute_ to find us. Even though I knew Role Holders had an assortment of different powers I still felt as though it should have taken him a little longer. Especially considering we hadn't told him which park we were going to.

When we returned to Clover Tower, Nightmare was already waiting for us outside of Avery's room; along with a doctor and two nurses. It was at that moment that I realized he had been the reason Gray had managed to find us so fast. I'm not quite sure how his powers work but, somehow, Nightmare can sense things that happen from miles away. Supposedly it's because he's a incubus _and_ the leader of Clover Country but I try not to think too hard about that. Last time I did I ended up giving myself a bad headache.

After a couple minutes I finally stopped pacing and heaved a heavy sigh. It had been nearly two hours so what was taking them so long? Why hadn't anyone exited the room yet? Why was it so _quiet_? If I hadn't seen them go inside for myself, I wouldn't even know that anyone was in the room. Did Nightmare soundproof it? Does he even have that kind of power? I suppose it's possible since the Tower is his territory but why would he do that? To keep people like me from listening in? If so, why? What was it that they didn't want me to hear?

My thoughts were cut off as Jaiden whimpered and pawed against the door. Both he and Jett were sitting on either side of it, obviously waiting for it to open. I felt sorry for the dogs. Not only was Avery their last connection to our world but to their true master as well. Without her I'm not sure if either dog could survive and I don't think they are attached to me enough to accept me as a master.

"Don't worry, boy. I'm sure she'll be fine." I cooed gently as I walked over to the German Shepard and pat his head; doing my best to cheer him up. It wasn't a easy thing to do when my own voice cracked with worry and guilt.

I know it's not my fault, but I can't help but feel responsible for Avery's sickness. I might have not been the one to make her sick, but I sure of hell could have done something about it. Her stubbornness knows no bounds so trying to push her into getting medical help would have been hard, but it's still something I could have done. I could have also alerted someone, asked Nightmare or Gray not to let her leave and walked the dogs myself. Was I a bad friend for not pointing out her sickness earlier? I sure felt like one.

Once again my thoughts were cut off as Jaiden whimpered and nuzzled against me. However, instead of asking for more comfort, this time it felt as if _he_ was trying to comfort _me_. It wouldn't really surprise me all that much if that was the case. Dogs were pretty good animals for picking up on human emotions. They can tell when we are distressed, angry, happy and even pregnant; or so I've heard for the last one. Jaiden, however, is a special case.

For as long as I have known this dog, he has always been incredibly smart. Amongst being trained as a police dog, he also has this strange talent for getting in and out of locked rooms; though only when no one is looking. Such as one time he managed to get into a room Gray was using to house a few chipmunks. The door had been locked to prevent the little animals from leaving but Jaiden somehow managed to open it regardless. Fortunately none of the furry creatures got hurt but one of them did find their way into Nightmare's office.

Another thing about Jaiden is he usually ends up in really strange places without explanation. More times than not this usually insisted of high places, such as the roof of buildings and once even a light post. I was there when he got on top of the lamp post but have absolutely no idea _how_ he managed to do that. This is usually also done when no one is looking but I have seen how he got onto a roof before. So, if he could do all that, then sensing how upset I am was nothing.

"Thanks Jaiden. I'll be alright. We'll _all_ be alright." I cooed again and smiled at the dog as I stroked behind his ears a few times. "The doctors should be finishing up soon. They'll know what's wrong with Avery and then we can all see her again."

As if my words were some kind of magical password, the door to Avery's room finally opened. The dogs wasted no time at all and rushed inside before I had a chance to stop them. I didn't bother chase them, however, and instead waited for the others to exit.

The first to come out was the doctor. His lips were twisted into a troubled frown and, even though he was too far for me to see his eyes, I could tell he was worried. Next to come out were the nurses. Much like the doctor, it was easy to tell they were also worried. Yet, _unlike_ the doctor, they sported sorrowful frowns on their faces. Heck, one of them even looked as though she had been crying!

I felt a lump form in my throat and I gulped nervously. I didn't like the looks of this. I didn't like the looks of this at all, not one bit. Those worried expressions and frowns aren't something anyone wanted to see from a medical staff. Especially not if it looked as though one was crying. Did this mean that Avery was... was...

I shook my head sharply, refusing to finish that thought. No, there was no way Avery was _that_ sick! The medical staff was just overreacting; they had to be. After all, everyone in Wonderland seems to believe that foreigners are so much weaker than everyone else, right? Yet, then again, Avery _did_ look awfully sick and no one just faints over a simple cold. A flue maybe but she wasn't exhibiting any symptoms of a flue. Wouldn't she be complaining of headaches at the very least if she was? I know she's stubborn but not even she can hide pain... can she?

Frowning, I gave my head another hard shake and inwardly scolded myself for thinking the possible worst. No, Avery was not _that_ sick, she couldn't be. It was just impossible. She was not. That. Sick. Yet, no matter how many times I told myself this, I began to chew on my bottom lip again.

At least Gray and Nightmare appeared at the door and I felt my heart flutter when I saw their expressions. Gray was angry. _Really_ angry. His yellow eyes were narrowed as he glared in front of him. His body stood rigid and his left hand was tightened into a fist. By the way his knuckles were turning white I could only assume that his grip was so tight that if he were holding something, it snap in two.

While it isn't very often, I _have_ seen Gray mad before. Normally it was during times when Nightmare avoided his work or when Ace tried to fight with him. Never in my time spent in Clover Country, however, have I ever seen him _this_ mad. By the way he was glaring it almost looked as if he wanted to kill someone. Without realizing what I was doing, I took a step backwards and felt a shiver roll down my spine.

When I turned my gaze towards Nightmare, I saw he looked as troubled as the doctor. Troubled and... guilty? Why guilty? It wasn't _his_ fault that Avery got sick; it _couldn't_ be his fault. Sure he himself is sick but he wasn't contagious. If he was far more than just Avery would have been infected. Then was it possible that he knew what was going on and somehow felt responsible? Did his own fear of the hospital prevent him from convincing Avery to go to one? No, I don't think so. Despite neglecting his own health he actually seems to care pretty heavily about ours.

Maybe Nightmare wasn't even guilty at all. Maybe I was just reading his expressions wrong. For the most part I actually really suck at reading expressions. I can pick up the basics such as happy, sad, worried, scared and tired but otherwise often mistake one for another. Well, either way, it was strange seeing him look this way and only made my worry worse. I know Nightmare could have his serious moments but I was servilely missing the childish, medicine hating man at that moment.

"Thank you for doing all you could." Nightmare addressed the doctor, sounding calm and professional despite the expression on his face. The doctor nodded but never lost his frown.

"Of course. I wish there was more I could do but I'm at a loss. Please let me know if something new comes up." The faceless man requested, looking at the two men from over his shoulder as he turned to make his leave. Nightmare nodded in agreement and the doctor walked off with his two nurses by his side. I waited until they were out of sight before turning towards the two Role Holders.

"Is Avery alright?" I asked, surprising myself by how calm I sounded despite the freak out I gave myself. Nightmare was the first to look at me as Gray looked off to the side, most likely as to not expose me to any more of his anger than he already had.

"Please excuse me." He muttered loudly and walked away before either I or Nightmare could say anything. I frowned as I watched him walk down the hall and round a corner.

I have no idea where he was going but I knew it was likely a place to smoke. It's what he normally does when he gets frustrated so I only assume that is what he was going now. Although, with how angry he looked, I'm not sure if a smoke will help him all that much.

"Gray will be fine. He just needs to let out some steam." Nightmare explained with a tried sigh and I returned my gaze to him. Though still a little annoyed bit it, I'm used to having my mind read by him and have long stopped telling him to stop.

"As for Avery, she's stable and sleeping peacefully. She's not contagious so you may see her if you like." The dream demon informed and stepped aside to allow me to enter the room.

For a moment I found myself unable to move and just stared at the open doorway. My chest tightened with apprehension and my body shook fearfully. I was scared, plain and simple. I was scared at what I was going to see when I entered the room. Even though I didn't want to assume the worst, I knew Avery's sickness was a lot worse than I first realized. It _had_ to be if it caused the doctor to be at a loss, a nurse to cry and for Gray to get angry. Even Nightmare looked worried and he coughed up blood!

After what felt like hours, though in reality was likely just a few seconds, I exhaled deeply and pushed my nerves down. This wasn't about me, this was about Avery. I couldn't allow my fear to keep me from supporting her. So, before I had a chance to rethinking what I was doing, I forced myself to walk past Nightmare and into the room; bracing myself for what I was about to see.

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I was unsure how to end this chapter so I decided on a cliff hanger. Chapter 3 will be posted in a week... if I have it done by then. I have 559 words written but got a bad case of writers block after that. Still do have a bad case of writers block. I posted what I have down in The Collection Pack if you want to see. Please leave reviews


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